Justice Department releases files tied to Jeffrey Epstein case
Find the files and read through them for yourself here.
The late former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson is listed in Jeffrey Epstein’s Contact Book:
The late Virginia Giuffre formerly claimed she was pressured to have sex with Richardson. The new documents mention Richardson. In a disposition, Giuffre says she was ordered to give him a massage. Richardson died last year and claimed that Giuffre's statements were not factual.
Here's what we know so far about the Epstein files released by the DOJ
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
A redacted phone message for Jeffrey Epstein saying "I have a female for him," are seen in this document released by the US Justice Department, then printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters on Friday, December 19. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Department of Justice to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by today. At around 4 p.m. ET today, the Justice Department released some of the documents.
CNN reporters are sifting through the files. Catch up on what we know so far:
- Not all new: The massive trove includes thousands of apparently never-before-released documents along with thousands of files that were already public from various court cases and public records requests. DOJ disclosures, court records, public records requests, congressional releases were among the document dump.
- New photos of Bill Clinton: Several never-before-released photographs of former President Bill Clinton with Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell were released.
- Redactions: The DOJ’s redactions of the files are vast – and the reasons for them go beyond what the law requires. In some cases, entire pages are redacted. To comply with the law, several redactions had to be made, according to the DOJ. Information redacted, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, included any material that contained personally identifiable information of victims, child sexual abuse materials, classified national defense or foreign policy information, or would jeopardize an active investigation. Read the letter that Blanche sent Congress.
- Deadline: Even though the law required the DOJ to produce all of its materials by today, Blanche said the department has been receiving new information as recently as this week and suggested that the ongoing review process would be completed “over the next two weeks.”
- Protocols: Blanche said department attorneys were instructed to report to Congress any “government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced” in the documents that were released, according to a copy of its review protocol shared with CNN. The protocol accompanied Blanche’s letter to Congress.
- DOJ website: The website that the DOJ used to publish the files was not immediately searchable — despite a search function being required in the law that mandated the documents’ release.
CNN’s Elise Hammond, Kit Maher, Michael Williams, Marshall Cohen, Annie Grayer, Clare Foran, Aditi Sangal, Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck contributed reporting.
Epstein seen in photo with pop icon Michael Jackson
From CNN's Em Steck
Among the thousands of documents released as part of the Epstein files is a photo of pop icon Michael Jackson standing next to Epstein. The two are seen standing in front of a painting of what appears to be a naked woman. It is unclear when or where the photo was taken.
Another photo released shows President Bill Clinton with his arm around Jackson. A woman whose identity is redacted and Supremes singer Diana Ross are to their right. Epstein is not pictured.
Jackson died in 2009. CNN reached out to representatives for Clinton, Ross and Jackson’s estate for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
In 2003, Jackson was charged with child molestation and administering an intoxicating agent for the purpose of committing a felony against a 12-year-old boy and was later found not guilty.
Look through more of the new photos released by the U.S. Justice Department below:
Look through some of the newly-released photos below:
DOJ withheld more Epstein files in first batch than law requires
From CNN's Katelyn Polantz and Evan Perez
The Justice Department’s redactions of the Epstein files are vast – and the reasons for them go beyond what the law requires.
In a letter to Congress Friday describing the release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the Justice Department believes it can black out information, even when it falls outside of the legally mandated redactions for protecting victims, showing gruesome injury or abuse, exposing personal information, or jeopardizing ongoing investigations and national security.
Blanche writes that the Justice Department is also holding back what it believes would be protected internal information, including documents showing deliberative process, work product and attorney-client communications that would be privileged.
“Although the Act broadly categorizes items required to be produced, the Act does not include language expressly requiring the Department to produce privileged materials,” Blanche wrote.
The Department of Justice’s position on redacting privileged information from Friday’s release is likely to come under close scrutiny by those calling for transparency and from critics of the Trump administration’s handling of the document release.
House Democrats have already made clear on Friday that if the Justice Department wasn’t fully complying with the law, they could consider going to court to force more information in the documents to be released.
Photo in Epstein files shows Bill Clinton in London with actor Kevin Spacey
From CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck
Former President Bill Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey are seen in this undated photo released by the Justice Department on Friday, December 19. Department of Justice
One photo in the Epstein files shows former President Bill Clinton in London with his former top adviser Doug Band and actor Kevin Spacey inside the Cabinet Room of the Churchill War Rooms, an underground bunker complex in London that served as a command center during World War II.
The image appears to date from October 2002, when Clinton traveled to Africa on a humanitarian trip aboard Epstein’s private jet with Spacey and actor Chris Tucker. That trip included a stop in London, where Clinton delivered a speech to a Labour Party conference.
“It was a wonderful trip and I had such a good time I asked one of my traveling companions to come with me today, Kevin Spacey, who is over here,” Clinton said in his speech.
Band declined to comment to CNN.
Another photo shows Clinton in a different room in War Rooms with Band.
Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of wrongdoing related to Epstein. His spokesperson has repeatedly stated that Clinton cut ties with Epstein well before Epstein’s 2019 federal indictment and was unaware of his criminal activities .
Speaking on Spacey’s behalf, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, “we’re happy to see the files being released,” adding “that trip still remains a huge highlight in Kevin’s life and the fact that the plane was owned by Epstein (3 years before he would first be investigated) is meaningless. Whatever activities may have been taking place in the background have nothing to do with Kevin. No more than if someone is doing something wrong in the hotel room next to yours.”
White House aides jump on photos of Clinton
From CNN's Kit Maher
White House communication aides are highlighting photos of former Democratic President Bill Clinton included among the thousands of documents released by the Justice Department related to Jeffrey Epstein.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung both reposted another user’s post showing an image of a shirtless Clinton in a jacuzzi next to another person whose face is redacted.
“Silly Willy!” Cheung posted on his White House X account. “Oh my!” Leavitt posted from her press secretary account.
It’s unclear where or when the photographs of Clinton were taken. CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for Clinton regarding the new images.
Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and a spokesperson has repeatedly said he cut ties with Epstein before his arrest on federal charges in 2019 and didn’t know about his crimes.
Republican lawmaker says 30-day deadline for DOJ to release all files might have been unrealistic
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Rep. Mike Lawler in October. Francis Chung/Politico/AP/File
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York downplayed concerns over the Justice Department not yet releasing all of its records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, despite the law stipulating the materials should be released in full today.
“I think given the volume of documents, you know — I assume they have a lot of people working on redacting, where appropriate within the law, and going through each of these documents to make sure that they are released appropriately,” Lawler told CNN.
Earlier today, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said more documents are still to come in the weeks ahead. He said in a letter to Congress today that “final stages of review of some material continue,” and that he anticipates that will be finished “over the next two weeks.”
The law also stipulate the documents be searchable, but the DOJ website did not appear to immediately have that function.
Lawler said the DOJ should “comply fully with the law,” but given the vast number of records and the 30-day timeline from when the law was signed, “I’m not sure how realistic that really was.”
“I think they need to obviously comply expeditiously, and I do believe that’s their intent,” the lawmaker said.
Here are resources for those impacted by details of sexual abuse
From CNN staff
The Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein today, some of them containing details of sexual abuse that can be distressing.
Here are some resources that can help:
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
This hotline is provided by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and is available 24/7. It is also available through online chat tool.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
This text line is also available 24/7 for victims of abuse and any other type of crisis.
• For help or resources for trafficking: Call 1-888-373-7888 or text “help” to BeFree, 233733.
This call center is operated by the nonprofit Polaris and provides immediate support and local and national resources, 24 hours a day. You can submit anonymous tips online here.
Files released by Justice Department include redactions, including some full pages
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
As CNN reporters review the released records from the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, we are seeing information — in some case, entire pages — redacted by the Justice Department.
What the DOJ said on its website about redactions: While officials made “reasonable efforts” to redact “personal information pertaining to victims, other private individuals, and protect sensitive materials from disclosure,” they acknowledged that given the volume of documents and Friday’s deadline, there could still be “information that inadvertently includes non-public personally identifiable information or other sensitive content, to include matters of a sexual nature.”
The DOJ asked readers to reach out if they spot anything that needs redaction.
How the DOJ said it approached redactions: “Redactions of victim names and other identifying information have been applied. In audio files, redactions of victim names and other identifying information have been implemented through the use of a steady, solid tone.”
As a reminder, here are some hurdles that the DOJ faced while racing to redact some information before release, according to sources:
- There are duplicate documents in the cache, which means that it is possible there may not be consistent redactions across the documents or that redactions may be done incorrectly in spots. Those duplicates add hundreds of pages more for lawyers to process than what they normally would have to handle had the duplicates been taken out.
- Some department lawyers believe they didn’t get clear or comprehensive direction on how to make the most information available under the law.
- Some legal document specialists were already prepared for the possibility that the files will have more redactions than what is required, and that there may be mistakes in what’s redacted and what’s made public.
Read more about the race to redact here.
Schumer criticizes DOJ Epstein files release, saying "a mountain of blacked out pages” violates letter of law
From CNN's Clare Foran
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Justice Department over today’s release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, calling it “just a fraction of the whole body of evidence.”
“The law Congress passed calls for the complete release of the Epstein files so that there can be full transparency,” Schumer said in a statement.
“Simply releasing a mountain of blacked out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law. For example, all 119 pages of one document were completely blacked out. We need answers as to why,” he said.
Even though the law required DOJ to produce all of its materials by December 19, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a letter to Congress that the department has been receiving new information as recently as this week and suggested that the ongoing review process would be completed “over the next two weeks.”
“Senate Democrats are working to assess the documents that have been released to determine what actions must be taken to hold the Trump administration accountable. We will pursue every option to make sure the truth comes out,” Schumer said.
DOJ protocol for Epstein documents includes flagging “politically exposed persons” to Congress
From CNN's Annie Grayer
Justice Department attorneys were instructed to report to Congress any “government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced” in the Jeffrey Epstein documents that were released, according to a copy of its review protocol shared with CNN.
The protocol document included multiple steps that DOJ attorneys referenced throughout their review process to ensure that the department was complying with the law passed by Congress.
It accompanied a letter that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent to Congress outlining the review and redaction process that DOJ undertook before distributing the materials.
DOJ details review and redactions --including of over 1,200 names of victims, their relatives -- in letter to Congress
From CNN's Annie Grayer
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a letter to Congress explaining the department’s protocol for reviewing and redacting the Jeffrey Epstein files ahead of Friday’s release, including redacting the names of more than 1,200 victim names and their relatives.
To comply with the law, several redactions had to be made, according to the department. Information redacted, Blanche said, included any material that contained personally identifiable information of victims, child sexual abuse materials, classified national defense or foreign policy information, or would jeopardize an active investigation.
“This process resulted in over 1,200 names being identified as victims or their relatives. The Department has redacted reference to such names,” Blanche wrote.
Even though the law required DOJ to produce all of its materials by December 19, Blanche said the department has been receiving new information as recently as this week and suggested that the ongoing review process would be completed “over the next two weeks.”
“Today, the Department is producing hundreds of thousands of pages of documents responsive to the Act. This disclosure highlights President Trump’s, Attorney General Bondi’s, and Director Patel’s absolute commitment to transparency consistent with the law,” he wrote.
Blanche added that DOJ was also withholding and redacting “a limited amount of information otherwise covered by various privileges, including deliberative-process privilege, work-product privilege, and attorney-client privilege.”
Blanche argued that the law passed by Congress does not require DOJ to produce privileged materials but added that “a privilege log will be produced in due course as required under the Act.”
Blanche said that the review team at DOJ consisted of more than 200 Department attorneys.
In Friday’s production specifically, Blanche told Congress that the items released included:
- Portions of the FBI New York investigative file for the 2018 Epstein criminal case for child sex trafficking and 2019 Maxwell criminal case
- The FBI Miami investigative file for the 2006 Epstein criminal case for child prostitution
- The FBI Miami investigative file for the 2009 Alfredo Rodriguez criminal case for obstruction of justice
- The FBI New York investigative file for the 2019 Epstein death investigation
- The FBI New York investigative file for a threat made against one of Epstein’s victims
- Investigative materials underlying OIG’s June 2023 report into Epstein’s death
- BOP materials related to Epstein’s custody at Metropolitan Correctional Center New York (MCC New York), including visitor logbooks, commissary records, and count slips
- Grand-jury materials from the SDNY Epstein criminal case, SDNY Maxwell criminal case, and SDFL Epstein criminal case
- Court records from civil and criminal cases involving Epstein, Maxwell, and the Epstein estate
- Materials produced by the DOJ in various cases brought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, this unprecedented disclosure highlights our commitment to following the law, being transparent, and protecting victims,” Blanche wrote.
Co-author of legislation requiring Epstein files' release says he's 'disappointed' with what DOJ made public
From CNN's Annie Grayer
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-authored the legislation that mandated the Justice Department release the Jeffrey Epstein files, told reporters that he was “disappointed” with the materials produced on Friday and that he will be exploring “all options” about what to do next.
“The law requires all unclassified documents related to Epstein to be released. It’s obvious they have not met that standard,” Khanna said. “While it’s clear they’re trying at the very least to meet the deadline, they should have been able to do more.”
Khanna said he would work with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, who worked with him to push for the files’ release, to explore next steps. Khanna went as far as to say that pursuing impeachment could be on the table if DOJ does not ultimately fully comply.
“Thomas Massie and I will continue to explore all options to fight to make sure that they comply with the law, whether that is holding people in inherent contempt, recommending people for prosecution, recommending impeachment, or private lawsuits,” Khanna said.
Update (3:26 PM): Find the files and read through them for yourself here.
Today’s document dump includes some new, some previously seen materials
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
The Justice Department’s massive trove of “Epstein files” includes thousands of apparently never-before-released documents along with thousands of files that were already public from various court cases and public records requests.
A new page on the Justice Department’s website, called the “Epstein Library,” spells out the four broad categories of documents disseminated on Friday.
Some of the files are new. Other files are clearly old. But for the first time, a sizable chunk of the massive universe of Epstein-related materials were all put together in one place.
- DOJ disclosures. This includes the bulk of the never-before-released materials. There are thousands of files that the Justice Department says were made public specifically because of the new law passed by Congress last month. This tranche also includes old materials that the Trump-era DOJ released about Epstein’s death in prison.
- Court Records. This includes materials from dozens of civil lawsuits and legal cases, such as the criminal trial of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and various lawsuits against Epstein’s estate. It’s likely that the vast majority of these files were already public. Many of these materials contain markings indicating that they were previously posted to public dockets in the federal court system.
- Public records requests. This includes materials that were previously released, some years ago, through Freedom of Information Act requests. Among them are documents from the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and materials from the state-level investigation of Epstein conducted nearly 20 years ago by Florida authorities.
- Congressional releases. This includes a link to the massive trove of documents that the House Oversight Committee released last month. The committee got these materials from Epstein’s estate. The FBI previously said that it had never seen some of those materials from the estate before Congress made them public.
'Epstein files’ include new photos of Bill Clinton
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Of the thousands of documents released as part of the “Epstein Files,” several are never-before-released photographs of former President Bill Clinton with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
One image shows a shirtless Clinton in a jacuzzi next to another person whose face is redacted. There are additional photos of Clinton swimming in an adjacent pool with Maxwell. These pictures show another woman swimming with Clinton and Maxwell, but her face is redacted.
Another one of the new images shows Clinton holding a drink and standing next to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while in prison awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
It’s unclear where or when these photographs were taken. CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for Clinton regarding the new images.
Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and a spokesperson has repeatedly said he cut ties with Epstein before his arrest on federal charges in 2019 and didn’t know about his crimes.
“President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York,” Clinton’s spokesman, Angel Ureña, said in a 2019 statement posted to Twitter.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated Friday’s disclosures, required the Justice Department to redact personally identifying information about Epstein’s victims. It’s unclear if the people near Clinton in these new images are victims of Epstein’s abuse.
White House touts administration’s transparency with Epstein releases
From CNN's Kit Maher
The White House on Friday. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The White House is framing the Justice Department’s release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein as evidence of the administration’s transparency, while criticizing Democrats.
“The Trump Administration is the most transparent in history. By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
“And while President Trump is delivering on his promises, Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett have yet to explain why they were soliciting money and meetings from Epstein after he was a convicted sex offender. The American people deserve answers,” Jackson added.
Plaskett exchanged texts with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing. A Democratic consulting group asked Epstein if he wanted to participate in a fundraising dinner with Jeffries in March 2013; Jeffries has said he has no recollection of the message.
Trump, who’s been dogged by his administration’s handling of the files, ultimately backed the release of the files last month after members of his own party helped force a vote in the House to compel their release.
DOJ's website with Epstein files not searchable, despite law requiring it to be
From CNN's Michael Williams
The Epstein Library on the US Department of Justice website, pictured on Friday, December 19. Department of Justice
The website that the Department of Justice used to publish the files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation today was not immediately searchable — despite a search function being required in the law that mandated the documents’ release.
The Justice Department published thousands of files split between four data sets. The website includes a search bar but words inputted into it yield no results — including for basic queries like “Epstein” or “Maxwell.” A disclaimer on the site notes that “portions” of the documents may not be searchable “Due to technical limitations and the format of certain materials.”
The bipartisan bill that President Donald Trump signed last month, which mandated the release of the Epstein files, also required the database to be available in a searchable format.
Why reading through these records is going to take some time
From CNN's Elise Hammond
An unsealed indictment of Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this handout page released by the US Justice Department, then printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, DC, on Friday, December 19. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Sorting through the documents released by the Justice Department related to its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein is going to be a long process, CNN crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz said this afternoon.
CNN teams are reading through the files right now and we will bring you key findings when we have them, but this effort is going to take some time.
This is for two main reasons, Polantz said.
First, the sheer volume of materials. The DOJ posted large data sets including documents, photos and audio on its website this afternoon.
Second, it’s important to understand the context, “to figure out not just what it is, but why it is there,” she said.
For example, “why did Jeffrey Epstein have photos of these people and what was happening in the room when these photos were taken? Where were they taken even?”
Many of those things are not labeled, Polantz said. “Some of these images have clearly very sensitive information in them. People’s heads are blacked out in a lot of them, especially women,” she said.
What types of documents could be part of the DOJ's investigations
From CNN's Elise Hammond
The newly released materials from the Justice Department could provide an “unprecedented look” at the behind-the-scenes workings of the agency’s investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said this afternoon.
Honig, a former assistant US attorney, said these are some of the documents that are typically part of DOJ investigations and could be part of the released records:
- Summaries of witness statements
- Phone records
- Financial records
- Travel records
- Internal memos about the strength of evidence
The Justice Department released large data sets, which CNN reporters are working on reading right now.
“This law is really quite broad in what it requires DOJ to turn over, so we should get an unprecedented look behind the door at DOJ,” Honig said.
How a small group of Republicans forced Trump’s DOJ to release its Epstein files
From CNN's Annie Grayer
Rep. Thomas Massie speaks during a news conference with Epstein abuse survivors and other lawmakers outside the Capitol on November 18. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The congressional push forcing the Department of Justice to publicly release all of its investigative files into Jeffrey Epstein was the result of months of nasty infighting and a pressure campaign within the GOP.
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a known party agitator, paired with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to craft a bill that would compel DOJ to release all of its Epstein files. For months, Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership tried to quash the effort, and President Donald Trump repeatedly called the issue a “Democratic hoax.”
Massie was joined by three GOP women who delivered the votes necessary to circumvent House GOP leadership and bring the bill to the floor. The pressure campaign against the GOP lawmakers to take their names off of the effort was persistent and widespread.
Trump called GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a “traitor” for supporting the release of the Epstein files and called for her to be ousted in a primary race, which ultimately led to their public breakup and Greene’s decision to retire early from Congress. GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert met with top Trump administration officials about the push to release all of the DOJ files just days before its final passage.
When the lawmakers didn’t cave and the effort couldn’t be stopped, Trump, Johnson and the majority of Republicans got on board to overwhelmingly pass the bill that has led to the release of the Epstein files today.
Schumer claims if the DOJ only releases partial Epstein files, that would violate law
From CNN’s Morgan Rimmer and Ted Barrett
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol on December 11. Heather Diehl/Getty Images/File
As we begin to the review the Justice Department documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, we’ll be watching for Democratic reaction to the Trump administration’s handling of today’s release.
Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement slamming Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for saying the department will release some of the files at a later date, despite today’s deadline.
Blanche said in an interview on Fox this morning that “several hundred thousand” documents in their possession will be released today, with more to come in the weeks ahead.
President Donald Trump signed into law legislation passed by Congress in November that mandates the release of all non-exempt information from the files by December 19.
“The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be — the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some. Failing to do so is breaking the law. This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and (Attorney General) Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,” Schumer said.
“Senate Democrats are working closely with attorneys for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and with outside legal experts to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi. We will not stop until the whole truth comes out,” he continued.
Updated 4:17 PM EST, Fri December 19, 2025
What we know so far
• The Justice Department has just released records from the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. CNN reporters are currently reading through the documents, which can be found on the department’s website, and we’ll report what we know as it’s revealed.
• Earlier today, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ would release “several hundred thousand documents” related to the convicted sex offender, with more to come in the weeks ahead.
• The release comes after President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill in November to force the release of the DOJ files.
• Separately, the House Oversight Committee on November 12 released 20,000 pages of records it received from Epstein’s estate through a subpoena, including multiple emails in which he mentioned Trump. The president has not been accused of wrongdoing in the Epstein case, and he has denied involvement.
Tranche of released records is "extensive" and includes large files
From CNN's Elise Hammond
The Justice Department has just released records from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
Some of the material was already made public, but other documents are “very likely to have never seen the light of day before,” CNN crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz said.
Polantz scrolled through the DOJ website where the files were uploaded:
“I’m looking at it now and it’s really extensive.”
The released materials included multiple pages and large data sets of information, she said.
CNN reporters are working on reading through the records right now. We’ll bring you key findings as we have them.
Blanche said Justice Department will "release several hundred thousand documents today," with more to come
From CNN's Kaanita Iyer and Holmes Lybrand
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche attends a news conference at the Justice Department on November 19. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the Justice Department will “release several hundred thousand documents today” related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A DOJ website hosting the documents has begun to make material available, and CNN is reviewing them now.
Blanche said earlier that the department will continue to release files in the coming weeks.
“I expect that that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today and, and those documents will come in, in all different forms — photographs and, and other materials associated with, with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein,” Blanche told Fox News. He added: “Today, several hundred thousand and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”
The deputy attorney general said the department has been focused on protecting victims.
“What we’re doing is we are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story to the extent it needs to be protected is completely protected,” Blanche said.
Blanche went on to give credit to President Donald Trump, who resisted mounting pressure for months to release the documents before ultimately signing a bipartisan bill that gave the administration 30 days to do so.
“Just so everybody appreciates, President Trump has said for years that he wants full transparency and he wants the Department of Justice to release everything that we can with respect to this investigation and cases,” Blanche said.
“President Trump signed that law 30 days ago, and we have been working tirelessly since that day to make sure that, that we get every single document that we have within the Department of Justice, review it and get it to the American public,” he added.
Some Epstein files were also released in September. Here's what was in them
From CNN's Elise Hammond
This image shared by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee shows the birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Donald Trump's name. Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter. Oversight Dems/X
In September, the House Oversight Committee put out a tranche of records, including a collection of letters that included a note bearing President Donald Trump’s name that was part of a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday.
The committee had previously released Epstein files turned over to the panel by the Justice Department. Democrats on the committee criticized the release, however, saying that it contained little new information.
Here’s what else was in the documents released in September:
- The “birthday book” was a 238-page collection of photos, yearbook pages, song sheets, and other mementos compiled by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including a note bearing Trump’s name. The president has repeatedly denied writing the letter.
- In the book, a partially redacted photo shows Epstein standing next to several other people holding an oversized check written to appear that it had been made out from Trump to Epstein for $22,500. The committee did not identify the other people in the photo. Below the photo, a hand-written caption states, “Jeffrey showing early talents with money and women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [redacted] to Donald Trump for $22,500.”
- The records also included Epstein’s last will and testament, entries from his address book, and the 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Read the law requiring the DOJ to release Epstein files
From CNN staff
The Justice Department just released some of the documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
